In this session we will address the global environmental crisis from an Islamic discourse based in our history of traditional Islamic sciences and scholarship. This session will focus on the responsibility that God has placed upon humans as stewards of the environment. We will gather some of the West’s leading Islamic scholars to address the global environmental crisis from this Islamic perspective.

This panel will fit into the crosscutting themes of environmental degradation, while addressing the roles Muslims are playing in the neoliberal world order. It is our hope to shift the discourse of our community to one of a conscious understanding of the destructive nature of neoliberalism to our planet and to begin a dialogue as to what would be an effective Islamic response to these issues that we are facing.

This session will be in English, though Arabic will be used throughout to quote classical Islamic texts. Translation of the Arabic will be provided by the scholars on the panel immediately after quoting the Arabic, as is standard in Islamic scholarship.

The biggest challenge that the Islamic movement in the United States faces today is the same as all the other movements in the United States who are fighting the cultural destruction brought on by globalization and neoliberalism.

Our concrete alternatives are affirming that Islam has answers relevant to both Muslims and humanity in helping to create a more just and humane world order. But to do this Muslims must again believe that the tradition that has been given to us is still relevant in a changing world.

Secondarily, we believe it is important for Muslims to begin to engage more generally with the other movements in the United States and we believe that the US Social Forum is a perfect venue for us to begin this work.